We’ve moved a little under 25,000 miles since yesterday and now find ourselves in the time/space designated as December 16. So far so good. It’s not much different than where we were yesterday but it is different. It’s National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, Stupid Toy Day and Boston Tea Party Day. I eat pretty much anything that’s covered in chocolate. But, we should spend a little time on the Boston Tea Party. Most of you think the the people of Boston dressed up as dressed up like Indians and threw the British tea in the harbor to protest taxation without representation. You’ve got it backwards. The East Indian Tea Company persuaded the English government to remove all taxes from their tea being sent to America. They could undercut the price of tea from other sources and monopolize the American market. The Tea Party was about New England merchants stopping a royal monopoly. Now you know. Now to history. This date in 1707 is the last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan. In 1907, as a gesture of the US’s new presence as a world power, President Theodore Roosevelt sends the ‘Great White Fleet’ on a round-the-world cruise, visiting ports internationally. in 1913 Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week. He said, “A day without laughter is wasted”. In 1969 the British House of Commons votes 343-185 to abolish the death penalty. As a side note, the death penalty has been abolished in 141 countries. Finally, in 1985 John Gotti assumes leadership of New York’s Gambino crime family after ordering the executions of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti. This date (1770) is when Beethoven was born. He said: “Beethoven can write music, thank God, but he can do nothing else on earth.” A musical savant? Perhaps so. This is also the day in 1980 that Colonel Sanders died at the age of 90. He said “I’m against retiring. The thing that keeps a man alive is having something to do”. I don’t agree entirely with the Colonel since I’ve retired but staying busy is important. With that, I’ll start this day. Abide
